Friday, October 21, 2016

Shake It Up

It's been a week. I managed to fight off what I was afraid was going to blow up into some major cold-like thing, but I got really lucky and it just kind of leveled off at the mildly sore throat-wicked tired-slightly congested stage. I slept without a dose of Nyquil last night successfully, and today I am feeling like I am ready to get back to my regular walking/running routine this weekend!

I also just found a "witchy" exercise challenge that starts next week, hosted by Gala Darling, that I'm going to check out! It starts on Monday and it's free – you can still sign up! I'm kind of excited to see what it will be like, and to try something different.

Another thing I am going to try is... dun dun DUN!... intervals in my running. I've been having such a hard time with straight running and it's pretty discouraging. I don't know if it was because I was getting sick and didn't know it, or what, so we'll see, but after discussing it with my idol/pal/cheerleader Betsy, I decided to open myself up to the idea of interval training – walking interspersed with running. Of course I am no stranger to this, having done Couch to 5K many times and participating in Fleet Feet's No Boundaries program several times, but since working on my own I have been entirely focused on ONLY running and building up my base from one mile on. But it's been harder than I feel like it should be, and I wouldn't mind getting longer, more productive workouts in, so... back to C25K-like stuff for me, at least for a while. I have a few apps that have intervals built in that I might try out, and then someone on one of the Facebook communities I'm a member of suggested simply running for one song's worth, and walking for the next. I like that idea, too.

So anyway, I'll be experimenting with that in the coming weeks and see how it goes. Either way I am committed to running another 5K race, so I have to get back to work! I'm officially signed up for the Freezer 5K in Buffalo that takes place on December 11th. Plenty of time to work my way back to 3.1 miles. (Hey, I know that at the very least I can walk that easily!)

Rounding out the week, I was running late this morning and was woefully unprepared for breakfast and lunch, and not really feeling like buying either, I thought – Hm... maybe I will just not eat today. The idea of not having to worry about food for one day sounded really good to me, and I also feel like it might give me a mental reset for the weekend and weeks to come. I'm still piddling around in the low 290s and I just want to get out of there already! I didn't really feel like dealing with dinner, either, so whatever. I'm not eating today. There's all kinds of things to read about fasting on the internets that seems mostly positive. And I am just trying it out for today. It might turn into a once-a-week thing, depending, or just a flash in the pan. Whatever, I want to shake things up somehow, and...

One more thing I was talking to B. about was sugar and carbs and things and how they affect us. I'm not one to totally eliminate things from my diet completely, but again, as an experiment I am going to try something new starting on Monday that will last nine days, which will go like this:

• three days of avoiding overt sugar and alcohol
• three days of the previous plus avoiding natural carbs (grains, pasta, high glycemic fruits and veggies)
• three days of the previous plus avoiding all carbs

I want to see how I do without sugar. I have a terrible sweet tooth and sometimes it can feel really addicting. I want to see what my weight does without these things for a little while. I also want to see how it makes me feel in general.

So anyway, I know it's a lot that I am chomping on right now, but I am feeling pretty ambitious and just want to get things moving again. A little bit more effort for a week is not going to kill me, and it might even make me stronger.

I am coming for you, Monday!

(Also, it's almost time to leave work for the day and I haven't died of starvation yet! Hooray!)

2 comments:

As you might expect - I think cutting sugar is GREAT, especially for someone with PCOS. How is it going? The first few days are the hardest, hang in there! The way I cut sugar is by, 1, cutting all foods with added sugar but giving myself a once/week safety valve MAX to have that type of food if I really wanted or needed, and, 2, limiting carbs to one serving per meal or snack. This was where I started. The beauty of it is nothing is off limits, it's just limitING the most harmful foods. I did not have a sugar addiction though - for those who do, the once/week thing may be triggering or too much. Keep us posted! Good luck!

Well, it's day two now and I am totally fine so far! I don't think I am a sugar addict per se, but I do really really love sweets for sure. I've been sick with a cold, so that probably helps because I haven't been super interested in eating much anyway. But yeah, I feel very determined to complete this experiment and see where it leaves me. I've done this before a week or so at a time, but more just the overtly sugary things. This will take that a step further. I like the idea of resetting mentally and I feel like this is something that will do that, similar to the way the fast I did on Friday did. (That went well!)

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Who is Not Afraid of Stripes?

I'm Amy, a 47-year-old artist and graphic designer with a penchant for cat eye glasses who has struggled with weight and body image for most of my life. In 2014, I made the last commitment to myself to lose 200+ pounds and finally make peace with my body through mindful eating and exercise, and lots of support from friends and family.

As of November 2015, I was down 107 pounds at 265. I felt great! Just over a year later I found myself back up about 40, BUT I refused to give up. I am committed to the process despite the setbacks and know what I am capable of, and I know it takes time! As of May 2017, I've lost about half of what I gained back and keep on keeping on!

And... I am definitely not afraid of stripes. They are among my favorite things to wear – fat, thin, or otherwise!